The Legend of Odesei
by Zekae
Summary: For a school project, we are supposed to do a project of our choice about either the ancient greeks or an ancient civilization (which we wrote a paper on earlier, ugh). My ancient civilization was Japan. So, being the awesome person that I am, I decided to put Homers' The Odessey into ancient Japan. Enjoy!


**A/N: If you read the description, you know what this is. If you didn't, I am lazy enough not to tell you. Anyway, the first chapter is a background thing, so the rest of the chapters will hopefully be longer. Anyway anyway, as is per the norm, enjoy!**

**~Zekae**

* * *

Odesei stood above the bamboo table, thinking intently. Presented to him were updated war battlefield positions. The enemy was pushing them back, and in a matter of days they would be at Honshu. He walked around the table to get a different perspective, shook his head, and walked back to his original position. A metaphorical light bulb formed above his head, as he looked up suddenly with a new plan. The rest of the war council looked expectantly, waiting for some new, unused method of attack.

"We surrender." he said matter-of-factly.

* * *

Legend has it that there was a great samurai named Odesei, the only samurai to be able to wield a Nodachi, which is essentially an extremely large Katana. Most samurai use a Nodachi once in battle before throwing it out and pulling out their Katanas. They were extremely large, heavy, and only practically usable for one large swing. However, rumor has it that Odesei is ten feet tall, radiant, and uses a Nodachi like a small knife.

These rumors were of course, wrong, but still partially true. Odesei was a towering two meters tall, and most of it was muscle. His childhood consisted of heavy labor over a large field, plus being a carpenter, which hardened his body until he was strong enough to lift his wife and four of his servants. He was drafted for war because he was so strong, but refused, saying he was cursed by an Oni, or demon. The recruiter, wanting to test this, put his newborn son in front of the farming mechanism that tills the ground, which would surely kill him. However, he stopped at the last moment. This proved that he was not cursed, because only pure men would have stopped. He dragged him off by his ear, and was a soldier in war.

The war he was drafted for was against the Chinese. They were invading Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. They started at the far north shore, and were making their way down at an exceeding rate.

However, when Odesei was given a Katana, and told to go fight, he asked for a Nodachi. The swordsmaster gave him one, thinking he would use it as is the norm: Use it once, and throw it away. Contrary to his expectations, he wielded it like a Katana, mowing down enemy after enemy, taking down close to several hundred people over the course of a few hours. He was also swift enough to come back with not so much as a scratch, and hand in his Katana.

It was not soon after that he was recruited to the high war council, because of his cunning and usefulness in combat. He won many battles, and even drove the Enemy back in a few, but now he was in a predicament. The Enemy had him surrounded, and though his men could hold them off for a while, they would son be taken, and Hokkaido would be theirs. After that, they would invade Honshu, and take over Edo, the capital. After a few discussions with the rest of the council, he requested a war map.

After looking at it for a few minutes, he turned to the rest of the council, sitting down, defeated. Odesei said two words then, that changed the fate of Japan.

"We surrender."

"How could you?! We are counting on you to come up with a new, never seen plan, and you SURR-"

"Let me finish. I propose that we _fake_ our surrender with a gift. A large statue of some sort. They accept it willingly, thinking they've won. But inside the statue, we have a hundred of our best men hiding. When they take us into their walls, we attack in the night, burning and killing everything." he said, putting a hand up to stop Takano.

Takano, along with three other people, make up the official war council, second only to the Ninjas and the Emperor.

"But what would the statue be of? It would have to be something that they like, maybe that they worship. Something simple, so we can create it quickly. Something like..."

"A panda?"

Silence was heard after those two words. Everyone in the council agreed anonymously at that decision, because it made the most sense. Historians don't know who suggested it first, but people believe it was Odesei, who had retreated into the corner while the council talked.

Believe it or not, that won the war.

* * *

The Panda was a huge success. It was built in parts, and shipped to the southernmost base in Hokkaido. It was assembled there, and rolled on its' wheels to the northernmost Enemy base. The Enemy scouts and guards questioned them, but the smartly acted like they really were going to surrender, and they were escorted to the main base. The twenty person team plus the escorts were brought in front of the Enemy general, with the Panda waiting outside. They gave the message of surrender, and bowed deeply.

They were slaughtered on the spot, after a grunt of approval from the general.

The Panda was put in the war treasury, in the middle of the temporary town, the most heavily protected place. It was also in front of everything else, because it was the most recent. This was not only the most convenient place for the people inside, but the most logical place to be put by the Enemy.

They waited two nights, waiting and eating the food they brought with them. On the night their food ran out, they attacked.

The city was burned, first. Then, the surprised general, his servants, and the laborers. Then they made their way south from their, burning and killing mercilessly. The hundred men chosen stayed together, in a sort of triangular pattern, pointing south. No one was able to stop them and their burning, maniacal destruction of everything they passed. They destroyed so much in their path that they didn't have to go around anything; it was burned, knocked over, or thrown out of the way. All of Japan had not experienced the magnitude of the blood that was shed that day. The number of people dead per square mile for the state of Hokkaido was greater than any war the world has ever, and will ever experience; and when they got back to the southern coast of Hokkaido, ninety nine people arrived.

* * *

"Where is Odesei?" Takato asked the ninety nine tired, maroon covered samurai that had just arrived.

"Please, let us rest before we talk." one of them said, and they slumped their shoulders in approval.

After they had washed, changed, and had some rest, the second in command, Yamamoto, approached Takato.

"It seems that on our way south, he must have gotten tangled up with a particularly strong soldier, and fallen behind. He will probably be back in a few minutes." he said.

"I can only hope so." Takato replied, looking past him into the recently knocked down forest.

* * *

As a matter of fact, Odesei was fighting someone. It was a strange person, matching him in size, strength, skill, and even type of sword. But he was clothed in black, and only his dark, brown eyes were visible. Was he an enemy equivalent of a Ninja? Odesei thought, but that was impossible. Ninjas had to fit a certain height. This enemy was far too tall to be able to move quietly and fit into small spaces to hide. Was he some kind of high ranking officer? No, he would be fighting in armor if he was. Well, Odesei thought, who or what is this?

There was a pause in the skirmish, and Odesei breathed heavily as he circled this new, unexpectedly equal opponent.

"You fight well." Odesei commented, staying on his guard.

The enemy said nothing, but continued to circle him.

"Who are you? At least allow me the pleasure of knowing the name of such a talented warrior!" Odesei said.

"My name..."

* * *

**A/N: I know this is getting kind of old, but this IS a school project, and nothing else will be updated until I am either finished or far enough in this story to continue them. So, I apologize.**

**As is also per the norm, hope you enjoyed, and keep those bananas on your face peeled for the next chapter, hopefully coming next week!**

**~Zekae**


End file.
